Sept-Oct 2011 & Sept 2010

Duluth MBWeekends

Note: There have been several other early fall MBWs based in Duluth; for additional information about these, contact eckertkr@gmail.com.

N SHORE - DULUTH I - DULUTH II MBW SUMMARY  /  Sept 30 - Oct 1 - Oct 2, 2011

Pomarine Jaeger / Park Point / October 2, 2011 / Peder Svingen photo

With apologies to those unable to be with us Sunday afternoon (and to Pat, who's never seen a Parasitic), it certainly looks like a juvenile Pomarine Jaeger! After we had distant but reasonable views as the jaeger swam out on Lake Superior and attacked two Ring-billed Gulls, my call to Peder resulted in this and other remarkable photos as he and others had much closer looks later that afternoon from the Recreation Area.

While my identification was based primarily on impressions of its bulk, flight style, and size comparison with the Ring-billeds, this image tends to confirm the ID on the basis of two features: the apparent rounded shape of the tips of the two slightly projecting central tail feathers (pointed on a Parasitic), and the white patches on the primary coverts in addition to the larger areas of white on the primaries (no white normally present on a Parasitic's primary coverts). Note, however, that Peder’s photos are still subject to review by jaeger “experts” and by MOURC.

A couple of us briefly saw another distant jaeger from Park Point late Saturday afternoon, but my impression of that one was Parasitic – if so, our composite list would include two jaeger species! But these weren't the only highlights during this three-part MBW. On Saturday we found an adult male, breeding-plumaged Black Scoter on the lake out from the 12th Street access, while this was followed on Sunday by an adult male, breeding-plumaged Surf Scoter on the bay side of Park Point near the 15th Street access. To find both scoters in this plumage is is amazing, considering that almost all scoters seen in fall in Minnesota are immatures or females.

Another Black Scoter (a female/immature) flew by Park Point late Saturday afternoon, at the same time a group of 5 Am White Pelicans (rare in Duluth) appeared on the lake, while a group of 5 swans (probably Trumpeters) had flown overhead a short time earlier. Other highlights included Cackling Geese all three days, 7 shorebird species (especially the Buff-breasted and 2 Dunlins on Friday), 6 warbler species (including Orange-crowned, Tennessee, and Nashville), and nice looks at things like pipits, longspurs, Harris's Sparrows and Rusty Blackbirds (with the last two only on Friday).

Friday morning's movement of migrants with those N winds was interesting to witness, though migration the next two days essentially ceased with warmer S winds. What failed to cease, however, was the human migration of tourists – never do I recall seeing so many people and cars around town. But we managed to survive the crowds for the most part and find some noteworthy birds on all three days. As always, thanks for coming!   -Kim

COMPOSITE BIRD LIST (80 species)

Fri S = seen in St Louis Co on Friday, Sept 30

Fri L = seen in Lake Co on Friday, Sept 30

Sat = seen on Saturday, Oct 1 (all in St Louis Co)

Sun = seen on Sunday, Oct 2 (ditto)

Snow Goose     Fri L, Sat

Cackling Goose     Fri L, Sat, Sun

Canada Goose     Fri S & L, Sat, Sun

Trumpeter Swan     Sat

Mallard     Fri S & L, Sat, Sun

Green-winged Teal     Fri L

Redhead     Fri L, Sat

Ring-necked Duck     Sun

Surf Scoter     Sun

Black Scoter     Sat

Hooded Merganser     Sun

Common Merganser     Fri S, Sun

Red-breasted Merganser     Fri S & L, Sat, Sun

Common Loon     Sat, Sun

Horned Grebe     Fri L, Sat, Sun

Red-necked Grebe     Fri S & L, Sat, Sun

Double-crested Cormorant     Fri S, Sat, Sun

American White Pelican     Sat

Great Blue Heron     Fri L

Turkey Vulture     Fri L, Sat

Bald Eagle     Fri S & L, Sat

Sharp-shinned Hawk     Fri S & L, Sun

Red-tailed Hawk     Fri S & L

American Kestrel     Fri S

Merlin     Sat

American Golden-Plover     Fri S & L, Sat

Spotted Sandpiper     Sun

Sanderling     Fri S, Sat     

Baird's Sandpiper     Sat

Pectoral Sandpiper     Fri L

Dunlin     Fri L

Buff-breasted Sandpiper     Fri S

Bonaparte's Gull     Sun

Ring-billed Gull     Fri S & L, Sat, Sun

Herring Gull     Fri S & L, Sat, Sun

Parasitic (?) Jaeger     Sat

Pomarine (!) Jaeger     Sun

Rock Pigeon     Fri L, Sat, Sun

Mourning Dove     Sun

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker     Fri L, Sat, Sun

Downy Woodpecker     Fri S & L, Sat, Sun

Hairy Woodpecker     Sat, Sun

Northern Flicker     Fri S & L

Pileated Woodpecker     Sat, Sun

Blue Jay     Fri S & L

American Crow     Fri S & L, Sat, Sun

Common Raven     Fri L

Horned Lark     Fri S & L

Black-capped Chickadee     Fri S & L, Sat, Sun

Red-breasted Nuthatch     Fri S & L, Sat, Sun

White-breasted Nuthatch     Fri S

Brown Creeper     Sun

Golden-crowned Kinglet     Fri L, Sun

Ruby-crowned Kinglet     Fri S & L

Hermit Thrush     Sat

American Robin     Fri S & L, Sat, Sun

European Starling     Sat, Sun

American Pipit     Fri S & L, Sat

Cedar Waxwing     Fri S & L

Lapland Longspur     Fri S & L, Sat, Sun

Tennessee Warbler     Fri L

Orange-crowned Warbler     Fri S, Sat

Nashville Warbler     Fri L, Sat

Common Yellowthroat     Fri L

Palm Warbler     Fri S & L, Sat, Sun

Yellow-rumped Warbler     Fri S & L, Sat, Sun

Savannah Sparrow     Fri S, Sat

Fox Sparrow     Sat

Lincoln's Sparrow     Fri S

Swamp Sparrow     Fri L

White-throated Sparrow     Fri S & L, Sat, Sun

Harris's Sparrow     Fri S & L

White-crowned Sparrow     Fri S & L, Sat, Sun

Dark-eyed Junco     Fri S & L, Sat, Sun

Northern Cardinal     Sat, Sun

Red-winged Blackbird     Fri L

Rusty Blackbird     Fri S & L

Common Grackle     Fri S

American Goldfinch     Fri S

House Sparrow     Sat, Sun

*          *          *

N SHORE OPTION and DULUTH I & II MBW SUMMARY / September 24-25-26, 2010

So, did I forgot to include anything on the list below? Unless I miscounted, our composite list for the 3 days was 99 species, and it would be nice to get one more. No matter what the total, though, this was quite an eventful MBW.

Friday was especially strange and memorable. The high winds, off-and-on rain most of the day, and cool temperatures presented a challenge, but at the same time this weather was at least partly responsible for all the birds we saw. Spending most of our time along the North Shore from Two Harbors to the Silver Bay area in Lake Co, we found Cackling Geese and an early Tundra Swan at Castle Danger's sewage ponds, Merlins at almost every stop, a quite unexpected Red-necked Phalarope (also at Castle Danger), literally hundreds of migrating American Pipits, some extremely early Bohemian Waxwings in Beaver Bay, and a curiously heavy movement of Savannah Sparrows.

Saturday brought in much more pleasant weather as we mostly birded Park Point (twice) and the North Shore between Brighton Beach and Two Harbors. Some unexpected pelicans flew over Knife River, we were again surprised by early Bohemian Waxwings in Two Harbors, and we made the fortunate decision to return to Park Point late in the afternoon. A locally rare Franklin's Gull appeared among the gull flock loafing at the Recreation Area, but more exciting was a timely phone call which led us to a Smith's Longspur in a weedy edge of a parking lot at 27th Ave West!

Sunday's weather was equally pleasant (perhaps too nice for birding?) as we spent the morning at Bayfront Park and Park Point and had our some of our closest views of larks, pipits, longspurs, and sparrows. But the afternoon over at Wisconsin Point provided a most entertaining rarity to conclude the 3-day MBW, as an adult light-morph Parasitic Jaeger repeatedly chased Ring-billed Gulls gathered not far from shore in front of us!

As always, thanks for coming along on this 3-part MBW, with special thanks to the 9 of you who were on their first MBW.  - Kim Eckert

Bird List

L = Lake Co (Sept 24 and/or 25)

S = St Louis Co (mostly Sept 25 and/or 26)

W = only seen at Wisconsin Pt (i.e., not seen in Minn; afternoon of Sept 26)

Snow Goose     L (blue morph in Two Harbors Sept 25)

Cackling Goose     L (Castle Danger Sept 24 & Two Harbors Sept 25)

Canada Goose     LS

Tundra Swan     LS (Castle Danger Sept 24 & Duluth Sept 26)

Wood Duck     L

American Black Duck     S

Mallard     LS

Blue-winged Teal     L

Northern Shoveler     L

Northern Pintail     L

Green-winged Teal     LS

Redhead     LS

Ring-necked Duck     S

Greater Scaup     S

Lesser Scaup     S

Hooded Merganser     LS

Common Merganser     LS

Red-breasted Merganser     LS

Common Loon     LS

Horned Grebe     LS

Double-crested Cormorant     LS

American White Pelican     L (Sept 25 in Knife River)

Great Blue Heron     S

Turkey Vulture     LS

Osprey     L (incl one eating a fish on a rock in Knife River Sept 25) 

Bald Eagle     L

Northern Harrier     L

Sharp-shinned Hawk     LS

American Kestrel     LS

Merlin     LS (seemed to be everywhere Sept 24, though not migrating)

Peregrine Falcon     LS (Sept 24 at Castle Danger & Park Point)

Black-bellied Plover     LS

American Golden-Plover     LS

Spotted Sandpiper     S

Lesser Yellowlegs     L

Sanderling     S (Park Point Sept 24 & 25)

Least Sandpiper     L

Pectoral Sandpiper     LS (Castle Danger Sept 24 & Superior Entry Sept 26)

Wilson's Snipe     L

Red-necked Phalarope     L (Castle Danger Sept 24 – casual/barely regular in NE Minn)

Bonaparte's Gull     S (also at Wisconsin Pt Sept 26)

Franklin's Gull     S (Park Point Sept 25)

Ring-billed Gull     LS

Herring Gull     LS

Common Tern     S (Sept 25 at Park Point, Sept 26 at Superior Entry) 

Parasitic Jaeger     W (great views Sept 26 from parking lot 1 beach)

Rock Pigeon     S

Mourning Dove     LS

Belted Kingfisher     S

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker     LS

Downy Woodpecker     LS

Hairy Woodpecker     LS

Northern Flicker     LS

Pileated Woodpecker     S

Least Flycatcher     S

Blue Jay     LS

American Crow     LS

Common Raven     LS

Horned Lark     LS

Barn Swallow     S (late migrant Sept 25)

Black-capped Chickadee     LS

Red-breasted Nuthatch     L

White-breasted Nuthatch     L

Brown Creeper     LS

Golden-crowned Kinglet     L

Ruby-crowned Kinglet     LS

Eastern Bluebird     L

Gray-cheeked Thrush     S (seen by a Linda Sept 26)

Swainson's Thrush     LS

American Robin     LS

Gray Catbird     W

European Starling     S

American Pipit     LS (literally hundreds migrating in Lake Co Sept 24)

Bohemian Waxwing     L (very early in Beaver Bay Sept 24 & in Two Harbors Sept 25)

Cedar Waxwing     L

Lapland Longspur     LS (lots of good views all 3 days)

Smith's Longspur     S (late afternoon Sept 25 at 27th Ave West, thanks to Mike Furtman)

Yellow Warbler     LS (2 late migrants)

Magnolia Warbler     L

Yellow-rumped Warbler     LS

Palm Warbler     LS

Common Yellowthroat     L

Wilson's Warbler     W

Chipping Sparrow     W

Clay-colored Sparrow     S

Savannah Sparrow     LS (unusually heavy migration Sept 24)

Song Sparrow     S

Lincoln's Sparrow     L

Swamp Sparrow     LS

White-throated Sparrow     LS

Harris's Sparrow     LS (best view Sept 26 at the "illegal" Bayfront Park feeder)

White-crowned Sparrow     LS

Dark-eyed Junco     LS

Rusty Blackbird     L

Common Grackle     LS

House Finch     S

Pine Siskin     LS

American Goldfinch     L

House Sparrow     S